Obituary: Gary E. Langston, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army (retired)

Gary E. Langston, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army (retired) died Dec. 16, 2013 in Arvada, Colo. He was born in Westboro, Mo., on May 29, 1933 to Wayne and Marion (Mather) Langston and grew up in Hamburg.

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Nebraska City News-Press - Nebraska City, NE

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Posted Dec. 17, 2013 at 2:49 PM

Posted Dec. 17, 2013 at 2:49 PM

Arvada, Colo.

Gary E. Langston, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army (retired) died Dec. 16, 2013 in Arvada, Colo. He was born in Westboro, Mo., on May 29, 1933 to Wayne and Marion (Mather) Langston and grew up in Hamburg.

He served in the Army for 22 years and then taught U.S. Government and Social Studies at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, S.C., for 20 years before retiring.

He was preceded by his wife of 55 years, Kathleen (Grahl), in Columbia in 2012.

Gary was a graduate of Hamburg High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Lieutenant Colonel Langston was a decorated aviator who flew both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, including Hueys, during two tours in the Vietnam War. He was proud to have coached Little League baseball teams in McLean, Va., and Pony League teams in Columbia.

During retirement, he served for over 10 years as a volunteer at the Richland County Public Library and was a huge fan of the University of South Carolina baseball team.

Interment will occur at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Family requests memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.